


Would You Like A Treatment?

by swinggal138



Category: Dollhouse, Jossverse
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Developing Relationship, F/M, Gen, Implied Sexual Content, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-04
Updated: 2013-08-04
Packaged: 2017-12-22 10:34:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 10,156
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/912180
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/swinggal138/pseuds/swinggal138
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Topher Brink meets the woman of his dreams and together they keep each other sane. Agent Paul Ballard meets someone also looking to take down the Dollhouse...can they make a good team?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

It had been just another ordinary night for Alice, at least it seemed like an ordinary night. Heavy rain was pouring outside as she moved around the kitchen, making dinner for when her fiance would get home from work. She sipped wine, watching the pot of spaghetti sauce she was cooking, waiting for Joel to arrive. But he never did. Alice knew he worked late sometimes but never past eight. She glanced at the clock, 10:30. Something was definitely wrong. Just as she was about to try his cell, the phone rang.  
“Ms. Strangefield,” a voice said on the other line.  
“Yes, this is she.”  
“This is Mary, from St. Christopher’s hospital. I’m afraid I have some bad news.”

. . .

Less than an hour later, Alice was in the basement of the hospital, in complete disbelief at what she was seeing. On the table before her, lay her loving fiance; the hospital had only called her to identify the body. She confirmed that it was him and was led back upstairs, feeling numb and lifeless herself. According to the police, a truck ran a red light, not able to see it was red because of the rain; Joel just happened to be the one in the way. After signing the appropriate papers, Alice drove back to her apartment, alone. The tears didn’t actually come until that night, as she lay in bed alone, reaching for him in the night and realizing he wouldn’t be there again. Then she sobbed as if life itself had no meaning anymore; and for her, it didn’t.

. . .

As months passed, Alice grew more and more depressed. She was fired from her job due to being distracted and crying half the day. Even her best friend, Anne, couldn’t snap her out of her funk, no matter how many girl’s nights they had or drunken nights out. It seemed hopeless. Just when Alice was sure the sorrow would kill her at any second, a woman approached her on the street.  
“Alice Strangefield?”  
She was an elegant woman, dressed professional, with long brown hair and a charming British accent. Alice looked at her strangely, never having seen this woman before in her life.  
“Yes, that’s me. Do I know you?”  
“No, but I know you. Or rather I should say, we know you.”  
“We?”  
“Yes. If you come with me, I will explain everything.”  
“Why should I go with some stranger?”  
“Because, I have the cure for your depression.”  
With nothing left to lose, Alice followed the woman to a car with blackened windows. Apparently, she wasn’t allowed to know where she was going. But she wasn’t scared; somehow, she knew the woman would be able to help her.  
Several hours later, Alice was sitting at a table in a little office, staring at a contract in front of her. She had just been given a lot of information and she was still trying to process.  
“So, let me get this straight, I sign this contract, give you five years of my life. And when I wake up, everything will be okay again. Where’s the catch?”  
“No catch. We are in the business of helping people here.”  
“So why me? Why would you choose me for this?”  
“Gorgeous, trying to escape from your life. You are the perfect candidate.”  
“Well, I am game. I have nothing to lose at this point,” she said, signing on the dotted line.  
The woman, who Alice now knew was Adelle DeWitt, smiled, took the contract, and motioned her to stand.  
“Well, let’s go introduce you to Topher, shall we?”


	2. Chapter 2

The frantic man stood tinkering with his computer, pushing at buttons and muttering to himself. He had heard a new doll was coming in today and he was preparing his instruments to complete his procedure. The door to his lab opened and he raised his head to glance at the new recruit, looking back at his work again, when his head snapped back up. He was used to many attractive women coming through his lab, admiring their beauty as he wiped their personality and memories, but none were like her. Her brown hair fell softly around her shoulders, a few strands twisted into curls on her head, She wore a white blouse, unbuttoned just enough to display the top of her chest. Her hips and legs were being hugged by a grey pencil skirt. Red lipstick covered her lips, which were turned down in a frown, quite typical of the new ones brought to him; but Topher bet she was even more beautiful when she smiled.   
“Topher, I’d like you to meet Alice.”  
“It’s nice to meet you Alice. Won’t you have a seat?”  
“Well, I will leave you to your work,” DeWitt said, leaving the room quickly.  
The spastic genius went back to his work at his machines, sipping on a juice box, and checking charts and readings. Alice finally looked over at him from the chair she was laying in.  
“So, she explained a bit of what is going to happen to me but I want to clarify. It will put me at ease. This machine of yours will emit a sonic vibration, basically wiping my hippocampus and the part of my amygdala associated with memories both long-term and emotional. This vibration will also wipe all parts of my brain associated with my current personality. Then these parts are essentially drawn from my brain and stored on that hard drive where they can be re-implanted in five years when my contract is up. Am I correct?”  
Topher just stared at her in utter disbelief. Did this gorgeous girl just tell him his entire process, the process that took him years to come up with? Alice looked at him expectantly, waiting for an answer.  
“Am I wrong? Did I miss something? I mean, I know your machine can’t effect the other parts of the brain that control motor function and current emotional response and I admit I am curious as to how you isolated the correct frequency to only draw out the correct parts while keeping the others intact.”  
“I...uh...I’ll be right back,” Topher sputtered, quickly leaving the room. There was no way he could wipe this girl; she was too smart and unique. Plus, he needed her.  
He knocked politely on DeWitt’s door before entering her office. She turned abruptly, sipping on her glass of scotch.  
“What? Is there a problem with the wipe?”  
“With the wipe? No...uh no. Um...did you talk to Alice a lot? Like, about her work or anything?”  
“No. Why?”  
“Well...she is...that is to say...”  
“Topher, what is it?!”  
“She’s...a genius.”  
“What do you mean?”  
“I mean, she is almost entirely the female version of me...well, aside from the fact that she is gorgeous and I’m, me. But, no, other than that, she is me.”  
“I don’t understand.”  
“She told me my entire process and how it works. It took me years to figure that out and she got it from looking at my machine. Adelle, I need her.”  
“You need her?”  
“Yes, I need her to help me with my work. I mean, I can’t exactly do this forever and who knows, I could meet with some untimely death. You will need someone to carry on this work and she would be the perfect candidate.”  
DeWitt looked at him for a minute, processing what he said.  
“Listen, I can’t just wipe her; she is too intelligent and amazing to wipe.”  
“Fine. You may keep her.”  
Topher beamed at his boss.  
“But only if she agrees to it. You hear me?”  
“Of course. Thank you. You will not regret this decision.”  
“Oh, I probably will,” DeWitt said as Topher darted out of the room.


	3. Chapter 3

Topher went back up to his lab; Alice was still laying in the chair, although now tears were rolling down her face.  
“Hey, hey, hey,” Topher said, going over to her side and taking her hand, “Are you okay?”  
“Yeah, sorry,” Alice said, attempting to wipe away her tears, “should we get on with the procedure? I’d really like to stop remembering now.”  
“Actually, I meant to talk to you about that.”  
Alice just gave him a confused look as he helped her out of the chair.  
“Here, come sit on the couch and I’ll explain.”  
For the next few hours, Topher and Alice talked. She explained how she double majored in classic literature and neurobiology. However, she couldn’t find a job in neurobiology, her true passion, and so she settled for being a librarian. Alice explained what happened with Joel, how much sorrow she had been feeling, how she wanted it to all just go away.  
“Well,” Topher began, “I can’t really make the pain go away. But I can offer you a job in neurobiology.”  
“What?”  
“Alice, I want you to be my assistant, to help me with my work here.”  
“Really?”  
“Well yeah! You’re smart and pretty. Not that I’m hitting on you. Sorry. I mean...I am offering you a job. If you say no, that’s okay. I can still go through with the procedure. But I would much rather you working for me than...well...them.”  
“Ok.”  
“Wait, really? You don’t have to do this.”  
“I know. But I have nowhere else to go and, while I would love to forget everything, I don’t think I can really turn down a chance to work in my field. Not many people seem to appreciate my particular intelligence.”  
“Same here! Oh, I am so excited! We will get started right away!”  
Alice just kind of looked at the enthusiatic man jumping around before her. She had to admit he was cute, with his vest and mussed-up brown hair. But the pain of Joel was still too strong for her to be looking at another guy...or was it?


	4. Chapter 4

Her investigations started when her best friend vanished; her best friend of ten years, gone, like she hadn’t even existed. Anne knew she had been incredibly depressed since her fiance died in that car crash and Anne had tried to comfort her as best as she could. But when Alice stopped answering the phone, didn’t answer her door, and no one had seen her in weeks, she knew something was wrong. Granted, Anne would have gone to the police but she had been hearing rumors lately and she was inclined to believe Alice got involved somehow. She had heard of an agency that took people, people running away from something, wiped them clean of who they were, and used them for the fantasies of rich people. She knew Alice was in incredible pain and she was drop-dead sexy to boot. If anyone was a target for such an agency, it would be her.  
The more she started looking into it, the more facts started to line up. Also, her background in forensics made it easier to catch things most people might miss. One day, a video had been dropped on her door, a video of a woman named Caroline who was clearly involved with the agency. She had been following the woman for awhile now, through her various identities and assignments, but somehow the woman always alluded her. But she knew she had her this time. Caroline, or whatever her name was on this assignment, had just vanished into the lavish mansion, wearing a maid uniform no less; some rich people had the weirdest fantasies. Gun in her hand, Anne circled the building, waiting for the right moment. When Caroline was bent over a table, dusting, and the client, some kind of oil baron, was facing her, Anne kicked in the glass patio door, gun aimed at the man’s chest.  
At that exact same moment, another man burst in the front door. He was tall, at least a foot taller than Anne. He wore a nice suit, was incredibly handsome, and also had a gun pointed at the millionaire. After that, confusion insued, guns were fired, and somewhere in the chaos, security was called and Anne found herself running for her life with the man who also broke down a door. When they were finally a safe distance away, both stopped to catch their breath, then immediately raised their guns at each other.  
“What are you doing?” he growled.  
“Trying to save Caroline.”  
“Caroline?” he asked, pausing and lowering his gun.  
“Yes. That girl in there, her real name is Caroline.”  
“I know.”  
“You do?”  
“Yes. I’ve been after the Dollhouse for awhile now.”  
“Dollhouse. So that’s what it’s called.”  
“Yeah. Would you mind lowering your gun?”  
“Oh, sorry.”  
Anne holstered her gun and extended her hand to the man in front of her.  
“Anne Vickerson.”  
“Paul Ballard.”  
“So why are you after the Dollhouse?”  
“Well, it was assigned to me as a case at first; I work for the FBI. But now, I just feel like it is my duty to help these people. You?”  
“My best friend vanished a month ago. And I think they are involved.”  
“I see. Well anyone out to take down the Dollhouse is a friend of mine.”   
“I agree. Agent Paul Ballard, I think you and I could make a good team.”


	5. Chapter 5

Alice leaned over Topher’s shoulder, looking at the data on the computer.  
“So, you’re saying, that by utilizing a different sonic frequency, you can take these different personalities and such and imprint them into the brain of these so-called ‘dolls’?” Alice asked.  
“Yes...essentially. I take the client’s specifications, create a brand new person from the data we already have, and..ta da! someone’s fantasy comes to life.”  
“Hmmm....”  
“Hmmm....that’s all you have to say?! This is my genius at its best.”  
“No...it is amazing! I was just thinking of the implications of such a device.”  
“Implications?”  
“Just...never mind. Anyway, show me more...”  
Topher spent the better part of the afternoon showing Alice how all his machines worked, teaching her how he came up with each device. But his mind wasn’t really on the conversation; rather, his mind was on the beautiful girl in his lab, the one always inches from his face as she studied his data. How did such a woman even exist? She was intelligent, beautiful, funny. And she seemed so content spending time with him, something women usually never enjoyed. And he enjoyed her company, loved her constant presence, even if he was too scared to even hint that he was developing feelings for her. But there was always something else, something in her eyes, a sorrow that never went away and he just wanted to make it all better for her.  
Later that night, Alice was laying on the couch just outside Topher’s lab. Despite the fact that she had been there for over a month, the Dollhouse, as she learned it was called, had yet to give her a bed. She didn’t really mind though; beds just reminded her that she was alone. Most of the time, Alice fell asleep rather quickly, exhausted from the amount of knowledge Topher had shoved in her head that day. But occasionally she would have a bad night; tonight was one of those nights. Alice lay on the couch, tossing and turning, her head filled with thoughts of Joel, memories of him, things he said to her. And also thoughts of Anne, her best friend, who she had just left behind without so much as a goodbye. How could she have been so inconsiderate? She missed Anne, almost more than she missed Joel. But she had been forbidden to make outside contact due to the level of secrecy of the Dollhouse. Unbidden, tears poured down her face as sobs heaved through her body. Alice just lay there sobbing when she felt a hand on her shoulder and she looked over to find herself staring into the green eyes of Topher Brink.  
“Are you okay?” he asked, looking at her tear-soaked face, a look of worry on his.  
Alice didn’t have an answer for him as more drops of salty water fell down her cheeks and onto his hand.  
“Hey...hey...it’s okay. It’s okay. Here...come with me; I don’t want you to be alone tonight.”  
Topher led her through a door and into his bedroom, which was really nothing more than a mattress with sheets on the floor of the server room. He helped her lay down and then settled himself next to her. Suddenly overwhelmed by the fact that a beautiful and genius woman was now laying next to him in his bed, he didn’t have the courage to wrap his arms around her like he wanted to. But she clearly needed someone, so he contented himself with stroking her hair lightly until he heard her breath even out, indicating she was asleep. And with that, he rolled over and fell asleep himself.


	6. Chapter 6

After that night, Alice spent every night in Topher’s room; it helped her sleep knowing she wasn’t alone. However, he never touched her or anything. Alice wasn’t even sure she wanted him too. It was hard for her to deny that she was falling for him, but everytime she considered her feelings for him, she suddenly felt unfaithful to Joel, despite the fact that at this time, it had been almost six months since his death.  
But one day, her guilt just went away. She was watching Topher work with his machines and drink from his juice box sitting on the table when he looked over and smiled at her, a smile not even Joel had ever given her. She had loved Joel, there was no doubt, but he always seemed to resent the fact that she was smarter than him. But Topher didn’t; Topher, in fact, seemed to respect her for it. But it seemed that is all he did, respected her. He didn’t show any sign of having feelings for her, which honestly made her feel even more alone. But perhaps she didn’t have to be; she was living in the Dollhouse after all, surrounded by attractive, eligible men whom she could make into anything she desired. This was definitely a possibility to consider. And, if it happened to make Topher jealous, help him realize what a catch she was...well that would just be a bonus.  
Alice’s opportunity to put this new plan into action came a few days later when Topher told her he wanted to test her imprinting abilities, from start to finish. She playfully pushed him aside and started working, creating a guy for herself; nerdy and suave, with a knack for literature. Once she had completed the wedge, she told Topher to go get Victor, one of the most attractive dolls in the house. Topher, looking slightly excited at the fact that she had taken charge, went and got Victor. Alice sat him in the chair, ran through all the protocols and soon, Victor was sitting up in the chair, or rather, Rupert was sitting up in the chair.  
“Good job...well done!” Topher said, examining her work.  
“So, I did well? I can go now?”  
“Uh...sure. Wait...go where?”  
“Well, what do you think I came up with Rupert for?” Alice said with a mischievious grin.   
And with that Alice vanished out of the lab, “Rupert” in tow, leaving Topher to stare at her with a combination of pride and disappointment.

. . .

Alice wasted no time having her fun with Victor. The first thing they did was go to the library. Technically, it was for staff only but Alice figured it would be no big deal since he wouldn’t remember anyway. They settled down on a couch together with a book, Rupert wrapping his arms around Alice as he kissed the side of her head and down her neck. She opened the book, Alice In Wonderland, preparing to read.  
“I picked this book because she has your name; it’s such a beautiful name,” Rupert told Alice, kissing her cheek.  
They sat and read for hours, until Alice got bored of just reading and decided they should go get some food from the kitchen. She started getting off the couch when Rupert wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her back down. Perhaps she had gone a bit overboard on the affectionate side of the imprint but Alice wasn’t complaining. It was nice to have a man showing her some attention again, even if she would have preferred if it was Topher.  
“I was going to get some food,” she responded.  
“Hmm...well what if I told you I am not done with you here,” Rupert said, leaning in to kiss down her neck.  
“Oh really? And did you have something particular in mind?”  
“Perhaps.”  
“Are you going to tell me?”  
“I’d much rather show you,” he said, leaning in to capture her lips, kissing her with urgency. Alice kissed him back passionately, all the built up tension from the last months releasing itself as her tongue pushed past his lips. He sighed into her mouth and pushed her back on the couch, laying his body on top of hers. Alice had no idea how long they lay on the couch, making out, hands exploring each other’s bodies, but it was time for dinner when they did emerge. Alice attempted to fix her hair, knowing her time with Victor was up, and they held hands as they made their way to the dining room, Rupert placing a few final kisses in her hair and on her cheek.

. . .

Although Topher was proud at how quickly Alice had picked up on everything, he would never be able to ignore the stab of jealously he felt as he watched her leave with Victor. That pain had only gotten worse when he noticed them emerge from the library hand in hand, her hair slightly messed up. Topher decided he couldn't blame her though. She wasn't the first to create an imprint for personal use; he had done it many times. And really, why would she choose a guy like him when she could create the perfect one for herself? He didn't stand a chance with such a beautiful genius like her.  
  To distract himself, Topher pulled a bag of chips out of his drawer of inappropriate starches, plopped himself down on the couch, and started watching Star Trek to console himself. After awhile, Alice reappeared, Victor in tow. It was time for his wipe, which was another test for Alice. She sat him down in chair, gave him one final kiss, then ran through the process, making sure she got the script exactly right. Topher approved her work, said she passed, then vanished into his room without another word.  
  That night, Alice considered joining Topher in his bed like she usually did, but thought better of it. He had seemed kind of grumpy earlier that evening and she was afraid she had crossed some boundary with the whole Victor thing; maybe she wasn't supposed to create a doll for herself like that and Topher just didn't have the heart to tell her. Or maybe she had screwed something up with the imprint and he was beginning to regret hiring her. Either way, it didn't seem to bode well for her chances of getting him to like her. Oh, who was she kidding, guys like that didn't go for girls like her. The smart, attractive ones never gave her a second glance, even though that was truly her type. Joel had been wonderful and everything, but not what she would ever have picked out as her ideal guy. Not to say she didn't love him, but, had she been given a choice between Joel and Topher, she would have picked Topher every time. But that seemed to be a moot point since he clearly wasn't interested. Once again, Alice cried herself to sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

The next few days passed in much the same manner. Topher only spoke to her to give her instructions or teach her things. Other than that, he seemed to be avoiding her, distancing himself. Alice still couldn't figure out what she had done wrong but she knew she wasn't going to lose her only remaining friend so easily. So that night, she decided to confront him.  
"Topher, can I talk to you for a second?" she asked.  
Topher stood up from where he was grabbing a juice box and muttering that he was out of his favorite. He gave Alice a wary look but said,  
"Sure, um, what's up?"  
"Why are you avoiding me?"  
"Avoiding you? Who's avoiding you? Certainly not me, why would I be avoiding you?"  
"I don't know; that's why I'm asking. Did I do something wrong? Did I mess up the imprint with Victor?"  
"What? No, you were perfect with that. You are perfect, in everything. I mean, you're doing a great job."  
"Then what is the problem?"  
"Nothing. I'm fine. It's all good."  
Alice just gave him a look that said she wasn't believing it for a second. Topher resisted but finally decided he needed to come clean with her.  
"Listen, your imprint with VIctor was perfect, too perfect. I mean, you created your perfect guy and I guess I got jealous."  
"Why would you be jealous?"  
"Because...well...I like you. But I know that you don't see me that way and that's fine, I mean, you are gorgeous, and could have any guy you want. So why would you want a guy like me? I mean...am I rambling? I feel like I'm rambling..."  
Topher continued talking as Alice walked over to him, closing the distance between them. She put a finger to his lips.  
"Topher, stop talking," she said, then leaned her head up and pressed her lips to his. Instinctively, he began kissing her back, wrapping his arms around her waist. Then he realized what was happening and jumped back.  
"Wait! Were we making out? Do we make out now? Is that a thing that we do? Wait, why were we making out?"  
"Topher," Alice said, stepping back towards him and placing her hands on his shoulders, looking into his eyes, "I like you. A lot."  
"You do?"  
"Yes. I have for awhile now. But you just seemed so awesome and smart and would never like a girl like me."  
"Are you kidding?! You are perfection itself! I couldn't make a doll who was as amazing as you! If I tried to replicate you, my computer would tell me your personality inputs couldn't exist together. And yet they do."  
Alice blushed brighter red than she ever had before, no one had said anything that sweet to her in her entire life.  
"And furthermore, I never imagined that a girl like you..."  
"Topher!"  
"What?"  
"Stop talking...and start kissing me."  
He didn't need more convincing than that as he dipped his mouth down to hers again, capturing her lips with his and he kissed her like no man had ever kissed her before. It was sweet and passionate at the same time. Alice wrapped her arms around his neck, playing with his hair and she backed them towards the couch. They tripped backwards onto it, still kissing, and they kept kissing until both of them were too breathless to continue.

. . .  
   
   
That night, Alice was back in Topher's bed. As they were laying there he hesitantly bent his head to hers and began kissing her languidly, still in disbelief that he had this smart, beautiful girl in his bed...and that she was actually letting him touch her! She leaned into his kiss, sliding her hands down his chest. He pulled her close, kissing her on the forehead and she snuggled into his chest. It had been forever since she had been held like this and it felt wonderful. She inhaled his scent, a combination of soap, metal, and something sugary almost. It fit him so perfectly. His fingers played with her hair and she ran hers up and down his chest, drawing circles against his shirt. They were quiet, just enjoying the feeling of being together.  
"So, does this make me your boyfriend?" Topher finally asked.  
"Yeah, I guess it does."  
"Good. I've never been a boyfriend before. You might have to give me lessons."  
"Well you are doing wonderfully so far."  
He smiled and placed a kiss in her hair.  
"I mean, I know I will never compare to your dream imprint that you put in Victor, but I do promise to do my best."  
"Victor wasn't my dream guy."  
"What? Why not? He was charming, attractive, articulate."  
"Yes, and far too prim and proper and perfect-acting. I don't need a guy who always says and does the exact right thing. That's boring. I want the guy who will nerd out with me and say stupid things sometimes and who understands that I'm not perfect and will make mistakes just like him.”  
"Hmm...nerdy and says stupid things...yep, I'm your man."  
"And,"Alice said, pushing herself up so she could look down into Topher's eyes, "there's one more advantage you have over Victor."  
"What's that?"  
"You'll actually remember when I do this," she said, leaning her head down and kissing him deeply, her tongue slowly pressing past his lips as he sighed contentedly.  
"Yes, I will definitely remember that," he said, when she broke the kiss.  
"Good," Alice replied, settling back down on his chest.  
The two of them finally fell asleep that way, dreaming of each other the whole night.


	8. Chapter 8

  The next few weeks progressed in happy bliss for the couple. They continued being adorkable together as Topher taught Alice more and more about his work, preparing her to take over for him in the event of anything happening. She was really quite an asset to him, noticing things that he might have otherwise missed. She kept him on his toes and called him out on things, something no one else in the company seemed to do. On top of all that, she believed in him; no one had ever done that before. He had been told once by DeWitt that he was hired because of his lack of morals. But Alice didn't see it that way; she saw what a good heart he had and loved him for it.  
One day, after finishing a wipe on Sierra after her latest engagement, Alice turned to Topher and asked,  
"Have you noticed anything weird with the actives lately?"  
"What kind of weird are we talking about?"  
"Well, several of them seem to be going off mission, a few of them are grouping. I have especially noticed Echo acting odd, as if she knows a lot more than she is letting on. Also, her engagements have been getting interrupted a lot lately. Maybe that has something to do with it."  
"I have noticed that. I don't know what it means though. As far as I can tell, the imprints are still working fine, no changes. Maybe the change is in the actives themselves."  
"Maybe. And I wonder why it is only Echo's engagements that are being sabotaged and not the others."  
"Well, I overheard DeWitt saying that some FBI agent and his sidekick have working to take down the Dollhouse; maybe she is their connection or target or something."  
"True. Why would someone want to take down the Dollhouse? Is there reason to take it down?"  
"Well, not persay. I mean, the general idea has always been great but sometimes I wonder if they are looking to do more with this technology than they are letting on."  
"What do you mean?"  
"I mean, like maybe they are looking to expand their clients. Not just wiping those who volunteer but taking this venture global; outside the Dollhouse."  
"That sounds terrifying."  
"It is. I mean, you know I love the work I do and always want to keep improving it but sometimes I wonder if I am going to take it too far, you know, outdo myself to a dangerous level."  
"Well, while I know you definitely have the ability and the intelligence to do so, you are too wonderful of a guy to let it get that far. And if you ever need someone to ground you, I am right here. I won't let you take it too far."  
"Thank you. This is why you are wonderful," he said, leaning down and placing a quick kiss on her lips.  
"Now," he said, looking excited, "you and I have no other work for this afternoon so I vote either Star Trek marathon or laser tag! Or both! Yes both! Let's go!"

. . .  
   
  After several rounds of laser tag, Alice and Topher collapsed exhausted on the couch. He finally managed to get up long enough to grab them some juice boxes, start the Star Trek DVD, and sink back down on the couch next to her. For the next few hours, they cuddled on the couch, drinking juice, and watching Star Trek. Both of them could not believe they had found someone so perfect for them. After awhile, Alice set down her empty juice box and began kissing up Topher's neck; she had learned quickly that it was his weak spot and she used it to her advantage more often than she would like to admit. Topher, determined not to lose this battle this time, tried to keep his focus on the show. Alice started kissing down further, down to his collarbone, while running her fingers through his hair. Topher lost the battle at this point and turned suddenly to her, bringing her face up to his and kissing her passionately, instantly slipping his tongue inside her mouth and exploring. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he pushed her back on the couch and laid down on top of her. Her hands continued messing in his hair and she returned the kiss, her tongue exploring his, causing him to moan slightly into her mouth. His hands ran up and down her back, eventually brushing against a spot on her lower spine, causing her to jump slightly, pulling away to give him a wicked grin. Then she pulled his face back down to hers and her fingers starting undoing the buttons on his shirt. When she was about halfway down, a sudden voice startled them,  
"For goodness sake," a very flustered and slightly red DeWitt said from the door leading into the office, "don't either of you have some work you should be doing? or a room you could use?"  
She abruptly turned and hurried back down the stairs, muttering to herself about deceny in the workplace. Topher looked down at Alice, both of them blushing at being caught in such a compromising situation.  
"Perhaps we should move this to our room?" he asked, hestatingly, "unless you want to stop, which I'm totally fine with, by the way."  
"Don't be ridiculous," she said, taking a moment to kiss him again, "I mean, what kind of girlfriend would I be if I just left you sitting here on the couch with an awkward...um...man reaction?"  
Topher looked incredibly embarrassed that she had noticed but did not object when she pulled him off the couch and opened the door to his room. The moment the door was closed, she pushed her flustered boyfriend down on the bed, following him down as he collapsed on the mattress. She kissed him soundly, straddled him, and finished the work she had begun on his buttons.


	9. Chapter 9

The evening of their meeting at Caroline's enagement, Paul and Anne sat in the living room of his apartment, eating Chinese food out of cardboard containers and comparing notes of all they had found. Paul had quite a bit more information than Anne due to his FBI connections which granted his access to things Anne could never dream of. Most of her information originated from rumors and suspicions. The only exception was how she had learned of Caroline. Not having any other true leads, Anne decided to follow it and it had turned out to be quite valuable despite not yet being able to have a conversation with Caroline. However, with Paul on her side now, things might just turn around; she might be able to finally locate and rescue her best friend.  
  For months, the two of them worked on the Dollhouse project, following Caroline on engagements, running numbers, and doing background checks on the large deposits they found being transferred regularly. Anne discovered her apartment was actually quite close to Paul's so she could easily spend a lot of time with him. Although, to be quite honest, their research and discussions often went late into the night and she usually just ended up crashing on his couch. Which Anne definitely didn't have any objections to whatsoever. Ever since her friend disappeared, the idea of dating, being social, and basically living a normal life kind of went out the door. Not that she did much of that stuff before, especially that whole dating thing. Relationships weren't really her thing. She had had a few bad experiences in the past and it turned her off to the whole idea in general. Instead, she spent most of her time working and hanging out with Alice. So, when Alice vanished, she found herself feeling quite lonely most of the time. Having Paul around was a way to take her mind off things and actually have someone to talk to. He definitely wasn't bad to look at either; tall, muscular, with killer eyes and a killer smile. Anne found that the more she spent time with him, the more she was falling for him. Which was a problem because he clearly wasn't into her at all; his only focus was on taking down the Dollhouse. So Anne surpressed her feelings and focused her frustrations on the sadistic organization that had Alice in its clutches.


	10. Chapter 10

One night, Anne and Paul sat on his couch, looking over some large deposits made by the same company to an organization that didn't actually exist. Both seemed deep in thought when she suddenly broke the silence,  
"So, I have a date tomorrow night and won't be able to come over."  
Paul came out of his trance and just looked at her for a moment.  
"Wait...what? You have a date?"  
"Yeah, well, kind of. It's technically a lead disguised as a date."  
"Ok. How did you hear about this lead?"  
"An anonymous note dropped in my mailbox told me about this guy, his possible connections to the Dollhouse, background, and where I could find him. It was probably the same person who gave me the information about Caroline."  
"Ok. So, you found this guy?"  
"Yeah. I followed him for a bit, learned his schedule and habits, then casually ran into him while he was grocery shopping. After a bit of flirting, he asked me out."  
"So, you're just going to casually ask him about the Dollhouse over a seafood dinner or something?"  
"Don't be ridiculous. There is a much better time to get him to talk and reveal secrets; a time when he is much more vulnerable, shall we say?"  
"You're going to just hop into bed with this stranger in the hopes of getting him to reveal what he knows?"  
"No, I should be able to get him to talk before it goes that far. He is kind of an introvert, clearly doesn't have much experience with girls, so after a bit of alcohol, convincing him to take me back to his place shouldn't be a huge deal. I can look around to see if there is anything in his home. And then use my interrogation techniques to trick him into giving me some more information. Hey, I know it might be a long shot but we are kind of running out of options right now."  
"Fine, sounds risky to me but you might be right. At least let me follow you in case something goes wrong."  
"Paul, it is sweet how you want to protect me but I promise I can handle myself."  
He looked less than convinced but dropped the topic for the moment, turning back to look over the reports again.  
  The next night, Anne sat waiting in her apartment for her date to arrive. She wore a low-cut red dress that enabled her to strap a gun to her thigh without it being detected. This could become an issue later that night depending on how things went once they were back at his place but she was hoping to get the information she needed before it became a problem. The doorbell rang and Anne went to answer it. She couldn't deny her date looked stunning in his purple button-down shirt that accentuated his muscular arms and blue eyes. She wasn't one for red hair usually but on him, it worked for her. He looked up and down her body as he said,  
"Wow, you look incredible."  
"Thank you. You look great too."  
"I...uh...made reservations at this little Italian place. I hope you like Italian, maybe I should have asked first. Sorry, I am not very experienced at this dating thing."  
"You're doing fine," she said, smiling sweetly at him, "I love Italian."  
At the restaurant, he ordered an incredibly expensive bottle of wine and the most expensive, delicious things on the menu. “So he must be a client” Anne thought to herself. Although he didn't come across as the client type. They ate and drank at the restaurant for hours, eventually ordering a second bottle of wine and finishing it before heading back to his place. It had taken little convincing on Anne's part to get him to agree to that, just a correctly placed hand on his thigh and a whisper in his ear. As they entered his little apartment, she glanced around, looking for any clue that might lead her to the Dollhouse. Unfortunately, she didn't notice anything obvious; he seemed like your typical nerd who holed away in his place. And grew pot apparently. Anne should have been more shocked about this than she was but, in this day and age, it wasn't exactly a rarity.  
"It's medicinal," he slurred, when he noticed Anne looking at the plants.  
"I didn't ask," she said, sitting down on the couch and indicating that he should join her.  
He quickly sat down next to her and didn't waste anytime at all pressing his lips to hers and kissing her deeply. Anne was shocked; she had not expected this from him. Her plan had been to be teasing him, all the while getting him to let the information slip. She was not prepared for him to be so forward; it was like a completely different person had taken over, a person who was an incredibly good kisser. Without thinking, she began kissing him back, running her hands through his hair as his tongue forced its way into her mouth. He laid her down on the couch, crawling almost on top of her. As he began kissing down her neck, Anne forced herself to focus, trying to come up with a new way to get information. She was so distracted trying to formulate a plan of action, she didn't notice his hand sliding up her thigh.  
"Oh, and what's this?" he growled.  
Anne's mind went into over-drive as she tried to come up with a reason for her having a gun.  
"So, she's a clever one? I knew I picked the right target."  
"What?" Anne asked, looking up in shock at the man looming over her.  
"Who do you think has been sending you those anonymous notes? I was leading you right to me. I have a message for the Dollhouse."  
"No you don't. The Dollhouse is your enemy. You need to take them down," he said, arguing with himself.  
"No, we want them on our side. Your side."  
Anne could not believe what she was seeing; this man had lost it. He was literally arguing with himself, and losing from the sounds of it. She was about to use her opportunity of him being distracted to make an escape, when he suddenly seemed to remember what he was doing and pinned her wrists tightly to the couch, gripping so hard she knew she would have bruises.  
"Oh no, you're not going anywhere. I have you right where I want you. The Dollhouse needs to see I am on their side and I will show them that by taking down anyone who is trying to take them down. But," he said, leaning down to suck on her neck, "it doesn't mean I can't have my fun first."  
And with that, he captured her mouth again, kissing her roughly as he pressed his body against her. Thankfully, Anne had quite a bit of self-defense training and she quickly flipped him off her and made a move for the door as she reached for her gun. But clearly she did not have the training he had as he grabbed her by the hair and slammed her to the wall. Anne screamed as he leaned in again to get at her neck but at just that moment, the door to his apartment was kicked in and Paul burst in, gun aimed at the man's head.  
"Let her go right now or I will not hesitate to blow your brains out."  
The man quickly let go of Anne who instantly reached for her gun and had it aimed at his chest.  
"Who are you?" Paul asked.  
"Just someone who is on your side...I want to take down Dollhouse."  
"No, no you don't! Don't listen to him. You want to help them."  
"No, you just want the girl. Take the girl."  
Paul gave Anne a confused look but she had no answers for him. They kept their guns aimed at him as he slipped out of his argument. Then out of nowhere, the man pulled a gun himself, alternating pointing it at both of them as he started moving towards the back door.  
"When you do get into the Dollhouse, tell them Alpha lives."  
And with that he vanished out the door. Paul fired off a few useless shots but it was clear they had lost him. Once he was gone, Anne slumped against the door, still clutching her gun. All of her self-defense training and her degree in forensics could not have prepared her for this; she felt like she was in way over her head. Suddenly, everything that had happened over the last few months just hit her, the loss of her best friend, the loneliness, the unrequited feelings for Paul, and the despicable actions of the Dollhouse. It all overwhelmed her and she collaped into tears. Paul finally lowered his gun and moved to her, picking her up and carrying her to the car. As he was helping her get buckled in the front seat, he said,  
"I want you to stay with me tonight; you shouldn't be alone."  
Anne slowly nodded as he got into the driver's side and they headed back to his place. Automatically, she made her way to the couch, utterly exhausted and emotionally dry.  
"No, I want you where I can keep an eye on you. You might have hit your head when he slammed you against the wall and I want to make sure you are okay. You will sleep in my bed with me."  
He helped her to her feet and into his room and after a bit of searching, Paul tossed her a giant t-shirt to sleep in. Past the point of caring, Anne stripped off her dress and Paul turned his head in an attempt to give her privacy. She put on the shirt and crawled into the bed. Paul began to remove his shirt but paused,  
"It won't bother you if I sleep in just my boxers will it? I get kind of hot."  
Anne told him it was okay and he stripped off his shirt and jeans and crawled into bed with her. It had been ages since Anne shared a bed with someone and the feeling was overwhelming. She rolled over towards him as his arms came around her. Anne began to cry again as she laid her head on his chest and his fingers ran through her hair. Eventually she fell asleep, too exhausted to keep her eyes open.


	11. Chapter 11

  The next morning, Anne slowly opened her eyes; they felt swollen and red from crying. She lifted herself from the solid chest she was laying on, placing where she was. Her movements woke Paul and he propped himself up on his elbows, running his hand up and down her back.  
"Hey, you okay?"  
"Yeah. Sorry. And sorry I was such a sobbing mess last night; I'm usually not like that."  
"It's fine. You had a traumatic night."  
"Yeah, but it wasn't just that. It was everything just kind of caught up with me. My best friend gone, the Dollhouse, you."  
"Wait, me?"  
"No...ah..."  
"What about me?"  
"Well...nothing...forget it."  
"No, tell me."  
"I like you, Paul. Ok. I like you a lot. But I know you are really focused on this Dollhouse thing and probably would have no interest in a girl like me so..."  
Anne's speech was cut short when Paul's hand slipped behind her neck and brought her lips down to his. He kissed her passionately, tenderly. When he drew away, Anne just looked at him.  
"I don't understand."  
"I have wanted to do that since the moment you were pointing that gun at me the first time we met."  
"You have?"  
"Yes, I am crazy about you. That's why I am so protective. Why I got so jealous when you said you had a date."  
"You were jealous?"  
"Insanely. But, like you, I thought you were focused on the whole Dollhouse thing and I didn't want to get in the way of you finding your friend."  
"So, we could have saved ourselves all this trouble just by having an actual conversation?"  
"I guess so. But, now that we've had this conversation, I have no hesitations about doing this," he said, bringing her head back down to his, kissing her soundly, She kissed him back passionately, running her hands up his chest and into his hair while his fingers ran up and down her back. After a moment, he broke away.  
"You know, I am suddenly very aware of the fact that all I am wearing is underwear."  
Anne just smiled and kissed him again before rolling off of him.  
"How about this? I take a shower while you make breakfast."  
"I like this plan," he said, planting yet another kiss on her lips as they both got out of bed.  
  The next month or two passed by in a blur. Anne had essentially moved in with Paul since she spent so much time at his place anyway; although she still had her own apartment a few blocks away. They continued to work on the Dollhouse case, but their leads were starting to dwindle and they definitely weren't following anymore anonymous tips. The relationship seemed to be working well for both of them, making sure to distract each other when they seemed to be stuck inside their own heads. Research was often interrupted by other activities and overall they were both happy. But neither of them was willing to drop the Dollhouse case.


	12. Chapter 12

   
One day, when it seemed their leads were down to nothing, Anne was walking to the store to pick up some stuff for dinner when she spotted someone familiar on the street. There was no mistaking the vintage dress and victory rolls in her brown hair.  Anne was just about to call out to her when a guy approached her, kissing her soundly on the lips. A sick feeling settled in Anne's stomach as she realized Alice was probably on an engagement at that very moment. Granted, the guy didn't really look like a client. He had on a plaid shirt, a vest, and grungy pants. But who knew, maybe he was some kind of internet prodigy or something. Not really sure what to do, Anne decided to follow them. She stayed a distance back as she watched them walk to a tall building then they somehow seemed to vanish underground. So that must be the Dollhouse! Anne pulled out her phone and called Paul,  
"We have a location. Be home soon."  
Anne walked into the apartment where Paul had already gotten them Chinese take-out; there was no time to make an actual dinner. She told him all about seeing Alice, following her to the big executive building, and how she seemed to vanish somewhere under the building. They sat and ate, finally formulating a plan to get in based on ventilation blueprints they had found; they would make their move tonight. After eating, they sat back on the couch, sipping on some wine.  
"So, we have some time to kill, what should we do?" Paul asked.  
"Oh, I can think of a few ideas," Anne said, leaning up to place a line of kisses down his neck. He gasped a bit as she ran one hand along his thigh, the other playing in his hair and she continued to kiss down to his collarbone, sucking on it. When she bit down, he growled, turning and pushing her onto the couch, capturing her mouth as his tongue explored hers. Eventually, he rolled off the couch, grabbing her, and threw her over his shoulder to carry her into the bedroom. He plopped her down on the bed, throwing himself on top of her as he pinned her wrists above her, kissing and sucking down her neck.  
"I think I like your ideas," he said, as she removed his t-shirt.  
Her hands ran across the muscles on his chest as his hands grabbed the hem of the dress she was wearing, quickly removing it over her head, before kissing her soundly again.  
  A few hours later, Anne and Paul were laying in bed, utterly spent but adrenaline coursing through their veins.  
"Think it's time to move?" Anne asked.  
"Yeah, let's go."  
They got dressed in the darkest clothes they had that would still allow them to move easily. After outfitting themselves with several guns, they headed out to the Dollhouse. Not wanting to arouse suspicion, they walked the mile or so to get there. Navigating the outside, they found the entrance they were looking for, dropping soundlessly into the ventilation system. Crawling and sneaking through several shafts, they found a grate that seemed to drop down into what appeared to be an office.  
"I think we found our Dollhouse," Anne whispered, removing the grate and dropping to the floor effortlessly. Paul followed, not so gracefully, thunking on the ground. They paused a moment, hoping no one heard that. After a second, Paul resumed moving, looking around the area they had dropped. He had just gone around a corner and Anne was about to explore when she felt the press of a gun into her back.  
"Don't move," a female voice said behind her.  
Anne knew that voice, there was no way she couldn't.  
"Alice?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.  
"Anne?" Alice said, removing the gun from her back.  
Anne whipped around and the two girls embraced, crying. Paul came back from around the corner, looking horribly confused at the emotional women in front of him. From behind Alice, another guy appeared, glowstick held out in defense in front of him.  
"What is going on?" he asked.  
"Topher, this is Anne."  
"Anne?! The Anne?!"  
"Yes."  
"What is she doing here?"  
"I don't actually know. What are you doing here?"  
"We're here to rescue you. But you don't look like you need help. Where did you learn how to wield a gun?"  
"Oh, it's just a laser tag gun. And rescue me? Who is we?"  
"Oh, Alice, this is Paul."  
"Great, we are all happy to make new friends and such but may I suggest moving this to a more private place before security is all over us," Topher hissed.  
Alice agreed and led the two back into the bedroom. Topher grabbed all four of them juice boxes as Anne and Alice caught each other up on everything that had been going on. Hours later, they were both finally on the same page.  
"So, you aren't being held captive here?" Anne asked.  
"No, not at all. There is really nothing wrong with the Dollhouse...at least the one right here."  
"What do you mean?"  
"Well, this one seems fine but Topher and I have been noticing some odd things and we are wondering if there isn't some corruption coming from the corporate office. They seem to be looking for other uses for the technology."  
"Shouldn't someone try to stop it?"  
"Actually we are. Topher and I talked to DeWitt and plans have been put in action. I bet if we talked to DeWitt, you guys could help."  
Anne looked back at her boyfriend.  
"What do you say Paul?"  
"Well, we certainly didn't come this far for nothing. We're in."  
"Great!" Topher said, "I will talk to DeWitt in the morning, use my charming influence on her, and then we can work out all the logistics of you staying here. But, in the meantime, may I suggest sleep? Please?"  
Alice sighed at the antics of her boyfriend.  
"Topher gets antsy without enough sleep," she explained.  
After debate, it was decided Anne and Paul would take the bedroom so as not to raise suspicion and Alice and Topher would curl up on the couch. After more hugs on the part of the girls, the couples separated and waited until morning.  
The next morning, Anne awoke, a bit stiff from sleeping on the lumpy mattress, and rolled over, placing a kiss on Paul's lips. He woke up and drew her closer to deepen the kiss.  
"You ready for this?" she asked.  
"No, you?"  
"Nope. Big risk we're taking here."  
"Yeah...but I'm glad to be taking it with you."  
"Me too," she said, leaning in to kiss him again.  
He began kissing down her neck, growling against her skin when she ran her nails down his back, and rolling himself on top of her. However, their makeout session was soon disrupted by a knock on the door.  
"Anne, it's me. You guys can come on out now. Topher talked to DeWitt and she is waiting for you two in her office."  
Getting dressed, the two of them followed Topher out of his lab and to a giant, luxurious office. DeWitt turned around in her chair, looking at the two newest staff members.  
"We've been expecting your arrival for awhile now. I hear you want to help. Please, have a seat."


	13. Chapter 13

  A few weeks later, Anne, Paul, Topher, and Alice were sitting on the couch outside the lab, watching a cheesy movie on tv. Anne and Paul had been adapting well to life in the Dollhouse and were proving to be excellent assets in the attack on corporate. Alice was sitting in Topher's lap while Anne was cuddled against Paul's shoulder as he stroked up and down her arm. The two girls could not have been happier to be back together, having both found their perfect guy in the process. About halfway through the movie, Alice leaned over and placed a quick kiss on her boyfriend's neck. In retaliation, he slipped his hand down her back, brushing his fingers over the spot on her spine that drove her insane. Before long, they were making out, not entirely caring about their friends sitting two feet away. Anne kicked Alice's foot, making her pause from unbuttoning Topher's shirt.  
"You do realize you both have a room like twenty feet away right?"  
Alice smirked at her best friend and dragged her boyfriend off the couch by his shirt front.  
"But...I was watching the movie," he protested, but Alice quickly changed his mind when she bit his neck and the last thing Alice heard him say was, "Nope, never mind, bed, bed is good."  
Alice resettled onto Paul's shoulder, returning her attention to the movie, but she could feel him staring at her.  
"What?" she asked.  
"You know," he said, placing a hand on her thigh and leaning down to bite her ear, "we have a room too."  
"You do bring up a valid point Agent Ballard," she said, turning her head to kiss him.  
They got off the couch, continuing to kiss as they walked to their assigned room. DeWitt passed them in the hall, where they had stopped for a moment, Paul having pressed her up against the wall to kiss her passionately. She sighed loudly as she walked quickly past them,  
"For heaven's sake, doesn't anyone use their room anymore?" 


End file.
